The Pittsburgh Steelers dug themselves a 10-0 hole in the first half as the Baltimore Ravens took advantage of Pittsburgh’s missteps. Ben Roethlisberger was not sharp through the first two quarters, and has led to some inconsistent play for an offense that has yet to crack the scoreboard.

Cortez Allen missed a tackle on Jacoby Jones on the kickoff, and Jones beat him for a first down two plays later. Jason Worilds and others got pressure on Joe Flacco on second down to force an incompletion. On third and eight, Torrey Smith just got to the first down marker.

Marlon Brown took a screen pass for a first down after Smith’s conversion. The Steelers held the Ravens to just two yards afterward to force third and eight near the 30. William Gay came in on a corner blitz, but Flacco was able to avoid it, and he found Smith for the first down at the 20.

Ray Rice found room up the middle for nearly a first down. On second and one, Michael Oher was flagged for his second false start of the game. Ike Taylor broke up another pass to Smith in the end zone, as he did in the first half. On third and six, pressure forced a bad pass, resulting in a field goal and a 13-0 lead off the opening drive of the second half.

Starting at the 20, Ben Roethlisberger floated a pass over the middle to Heath Miller on first down for 21 yards. Le’Veon Bell picked up about six on the following play. On second down, Miller gained only about two yards on a short pass. On third and two, Bell found a crease and caught the edge for a big gain into the red zone.

On first and goal, Roethlisberger’s pass dropped right into the dirt. On second down, he looked for Jerricho Cotchery in the corner of the end zone, but it was deflected away by Jimmy Smith. On third and eight, Roethlisberger climbed the pocket up to the line of scrimmage to draw in the defenders, leaving Emmanuel Sanders in the back of the end zone for the score to make it 13-7.

Unfortunately, Jones returned the ensuing kickoff all the way down to the 27-yard line. Flacco’s bootleg opened up Ed Dickson into the red zone. From the 11, Rice was stonewalled after about a yard. Lawrence Timmons blew up Rice after another short gain on a pass to set up third and long from the seven. On third down, Timmons stopped a draw with a shoe-string tackle. Rice was flagged for unsportsmanlike conduct after the play to make the ensuing field goal attempt more difficult, but it was good anyway, making it 16-7.

Starting at the 21, Bell took a screen pass about eight yards on first down. He was held to no gain on a draw on second down. On third down, Roethlsiberger’s pass was too strong for Bell down the right sideline to force a punt.

On second and four, Troy Polamalu came up to make a great stop for no gain to Bernard Pierce. On third down, Flacco had all day to throw and eventually found Jones for 33 yards down to the 25. The Steelers got pressure on the play after, but Flacco was able to get a throw off and nearly completed it to Smith near the goal line. After Oher’s third false start of the game, Rice only gained two yards, setting up third and 13. On third down, Flacco’s pass was high and incomplete. Another field goal made it 19-7.

After kick out of bounds, the Steelers started from the 40. Antonio Brown seemed to have the balled ripped out after pulling it in on first down. On second down, Roethlsiberger checked down to Bell for seven yards. On third down, the Steelers sent five receivers, and Sanders got four yards.

Bell took a quick toss nine yards over the middle after eluding a tackler on first down. He ran for the first down a play later. The Ravens were flagged for holding for five yards and a first down. Roethlisberger went for Brown deep to the end zone, but it was incomplete. The Ravens were called for holding again on the play.

Following the consecutive penalties, Roethlisberger looked to the end zone again, but the pass wasn’t there for Sanders. On second down, a floating pass was deflected by the safety on a heady play that would have set up first and goal. On third down, Roethlisberger, scrambling, threw down the field and found Brown for the big first down.

From the eight, Roethlisberger found Miller, who was held just shy of the end zone. On second and goal from inches out, Bell walked into the end zone for the score. With 9:32 to play, the Steelers trailed 19-14.

After the success Jones had on special teams, the Steelers squibbed the kickoff, which was returned to the 34. The Steelers quickly got the Ravens into a third and four situation, but Flacco floated a ball up to Rice on the flat that went all the way down to the Steelers’ 38.

After a false start, Timmons tackled the back after two yards to set up third and 12. From the 40, the Ravens were able to get off an 11-yard pass to make it a manageable field goal attempt. Yet another field goal made it 22-14, meaning the Steelers need a two-point conversion.

Roethlisberger had all day to throw, but his pass to Cotchery was broken up, and nearly intercepted. On second down, he hit Brown quickly and out of bounds for 19 yards. Miller was good for eight yards. On second and two, Miller got the grab for the first down. On five wide, Roethlisberger looked to Miller again over the middle for 13 yards.

Bell was wrapped up for no gain the play after. On second down from the 34, Roethlisberger had Sanders on a difficult pass that he couldn’t hang on to, but a penalty would have negated it anyway. Now second and 24, Bell took a check down down to the 21. After an incompletion, Roethlisberger found Miller between two defenders seemingly for the touchdown, but after review, he was just short.

On first down, Bell was stopped short, and the Ravens used their final timeout. On second and goal, Bell scored, but his helmet came off, blowing the play dead at the half-yard line. On third and goal, Will Johnson could not catch Roethlisberger’s pass. Cotchery caught a wide open pass for the score. The two-point attempt went to Sanders over the defender, but he could not bring in the tough pass.

Shaun Suisham redirected his kick twice before pooching a short one that did not travel the requisite yards, which essentially ends the game. the Steelers fall to 5-7, which likely ends their hopes of a playoff run.

Big Jones run allowed by Steelers unacceptable. And the 2-point conversion try didn’t look like anything they were holding in their hip pocket, which I thought all of these were supposed to be. I’m tired of us making the Ravens look good when they don’t play that well.

GunsDontKillWoodleyKills

Include Tomlin and that classless move he pulled on the sideline during the kick return. Not to mention it took his team 3 quarters to show any life.

Bell Cow

Tomlin goes on my winners list for that sideline tackle he assisted on.

Tom

No doubt that Colonel Sanders is on the loser list. Talk about “un-clutch” . There were at least 3 throws that he could have caught and made a difference. Not necessarily easy catches….but ones that you have to make most of the time.

Might as well add Troy to the loser list too. Pretty sure he was “gambling and freelancing” on several of the big plays.

StrengthOfVictory

And can someone tell me how we keep allowing the Ravens to do the SAME plays every time?? Flacco goes deep on the first or second play EVERY time he plays the Steelers. The deep ball should be the LAST thing that gets by the defense.

Douglas Andrews

Great gamesmanship lol

Weiss Chad

.Worilds,Ben,O line, bell,to winners list maybe?

StrengthOfVictory

While I’m sick about losing a VERY winnable game, what do the Ravens have on the Steelers beside a better record right now? We’re both 2-2 in the division, and we split our head-to-head matches…so where’s the tiebreaker?

Bell Cow

Is the offense going to be able to put 11 guys on the field next week? I think they’re all in the hospital right now after that last drive.

Douglas Andrews

Not only that but why are our FS’s always guessing and playing undisciplined no matter if it’s R Clark or W Allen same results they leave the middle of the field wide open trying to jump underneath routes

Elijah Stevenson

Thanks for reminding me, ike always gets blown out every single week and us fans get tired of it.

Douglas Andrews

I had no problem with the play if Sanders makes an NFL WR play.

Elijah Stevenson

LOL let’s credit Tomlin for making a tackle.

Elijah Stevenson

Probably the whole secondary on the losers list even though worilds pressured flacco a little he still made those deep throws down field.

Douglas Andrews

What was Suisham thinking? Was that a fake or what? Those short kickoffs really hurt us too

Elijah Stevenson

Not Ben or the whole offense because we took to king in the game to get it together.

StrengthOfVictory

Botch a FG attempt (3 points) by snapping late and handing the Ravens great field position. Oh, and proceed to lose by 2 points. Happy Thanksgiving, Baltimore.

Elijah Stevenson

Let’s just focus on beating Miami next week, even though we lost I still believe we’re still in this playoff hunt

Tom

Add Clark to the losers list for getting steam rolled and his face shoved into the ground by a midget.

Steeler Wheeler

And also for burning Two time outs on that Last drive.

Douglas Andrews

I’m sure it’s still possible mathematically but that 0-4 start seems like it coming back to haunt us

StrengthOfVictory

In case there was any doubt that Bell is our guy going forward, he certainly took a BIG step toward slamming that door closed. Oh yeah…and in only his 9th NFL game.

Brandon James

Ike had a great game besides that big ball, and I don’t think you saw Will Allen Jump the route did you? Should have had help, not calling you out at all because I had to go back and watch it, hard to see

Douglas Andrews

Almost forgot about Worilds but I agree with you

Elijah Stevenson

Yeah no doubt, but what haunts me tonight was that missed field goal attempt that could have won the game for us 23-22

Steeler Wheeler

Assuming they both tie and end up 4-2 in division the next tie break is like games. Easiest way to do that is subtract out the two Un like games… Oakland and Tennessee losses fir the steelers, ravens beat Houston so steelers will own that third tie breaker over ravens (head to head, division games, like games)

Steeler Wheeler

Play call was bad also. Get a few easy yards and make that kicka lot easier

Elijah Stevenson

Clark was a non factor in the entire game I didn’t even know he existed on the field.

Douglas Andrews

Would have been a smarter decision

Superdriller316

1 silver lining. No sacks allowed and no turnovers.

Douglas Andrews

Or those two Sanders drops. Huge

Douglas Andrews

That O line performed well. Hard to believe they lost 4 O lineman to injuries

Dwayne Ferguson

I agree- take the touchdown… Ike clearly was baiting Flacco to throw to the receiver and the de Kesiel was dropped into coverage to take the ball… that one was on Kesiel even if it was a lot to ask of him. It looked like ike was schemed to let the receiver go.

Dwayne Ferguson

Man I was wrong about much of this team before the season. I honestly thought Brown was just a showboat and Sanders could be a more well rounded receiver…but after last night I wished we had sent him to the Pats. He failed so many times. Good luck for him to go and get that big contract next year if he can’t make ANY clutch catches. The good news is that Miller finally looks back into form and the fears of him finally being too old I think are premature. Still a bad, hurtful loss. Not just for division and playoff chances but to see Velasco and Bell hurt- probably making them both questionable for next week is hard to swallow.

ND_Steel

The free lancing killed us. Love to see him gamble within the design of the defense, but when he complete blows off his assignment, he looks like a rookie.

ND_Steel

Once again clock management was terrible. In the end, we should have had two opportunities to score instead of one. If we move a little faster on the last drive (again, 20-30 secs were running off between plays) and score before the 2 min warning or not burn our first timeout, we could have been able to kick deep if the 2 pt conversion failed. But once again our only option was the on-sides kick, and what a wonderful effort that was…what a joke

ND_Steel

They lost this game in the first half. No sense of urgency as usual. Didn’t turn it on til the end, as usual. Sanders is horrible as a #2, Troy keeps free lancing costing big plays (and some will say that is what makes him great but I disagree, he is best when he free lances within the system not on his own), Timmons is too slow to cover anyone, and the lack of time management has hurt us over and over. Will never put Ben in the upper tier of QBs due to his lack of time management. Brees, Brady, Manning…they are like surgeons at the end of the half and the end of games. Ben doesn’t get it.

CrazyTerry

Ike was still getting beat left and right up and down almost every play. Yes he had two nice pass breakups. But so what. William Gay who earns a lot less and has less of a pedigree is doing more this season. If you are the other team’s QB, you gotta be stupid not to target Ike more often because in the worst case, we are talking incomplete. There is no fear of an INT.

Brandon James

No offense but william gay is not put up against any #1 receivers in this league. As much as Gay as played great and I agree he has, I have seen him burned 3-4 times for a 50+ yard touchdown to get lucky by bad throws. Ike had some beautiful plays, and the only two plays I can think he got beat, 1 he should have had safety help, and the other he didn’t have inside responsibility.

alex

howd u forget, worilds, he was a beast all day…and the slow first half offense was on Haleys consistent run-run-pass play calling

alex

the flip side is why are we not trying to stretch the field in the same manner? i hear that can open up the ground game…

Douglas Andrews

As much as I like W Gay we could be talking about him getting beat on Baltimore’s first offensive play. Had it not been for Flacco under throwing Jacoby Jones Gay was beat pretty badly. Ike hasn’t had his best season this year but Ike takes the #1 receiver and has done so for years.

Douglas Andrews

Yeah he was a beast in the first half so much so they decided to double team him in the second half. That was the time for someone else to step up like Jarvis Jones. Haley’s play calling was fine the Steelers especially Ben didn’t execute very well in the first half. Ben’s numbers look good we just needed him to be great in this game. Sanders drops were inexcusable.